UMA ufuna ukwazi ukuthi sikhathi sini, wenzani? Ungase ubuke iwashi lakho. Uma kungumngane wakho okubuza isikhathi, ungathini kuye? Kunezindlela ezihlukahlukene zokusho isikhathi. Kanjani?

Ake sithi kugamenxe ihora lokuqala. Ungase uthi u-1:30. Kuye ngokuthi uhlala kuphi nokuthi nijwayele ukusibiza kanjani isikhathi, ungase uthi u-13:30. Leyo ndlela yokusho isikhathi isekelwe ewashini elinamahora angu-24. Kukhona nezindawo lapho lesi sikhathi sibizwa ngokuthi “half two,” okusho ukuthi imizuzu engu-30 ngaphambi kwehora lesibili.

Njengomfundi weBhayibheli kungenzeka uyazibuza ukuthi abantu ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli babesisho kanjani isikhathi. Zaziziningi izindlela. ImiBhalo YesiHebheru isebenzisa igama elithi “ekuseni,” “emini,” nelithi “kusihlwa.” (Gen. 8:11; 19:27; 43:16; Dut. 28:29; 1 AmaKh. 18:26) Nokho, ngezinye izikhathi, kwakusetshenziswa isikhathi esiqondile.

Ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli kwakuvamile ukuthi kube nabalindi noma onogada. Babedingeka ikakhulukazi ebusuku. Emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba uJesu azalwe, ama-Israyeli ahlukanisa ubusuku baba yizingxenye ezintathu ezibizwa ngokuthi yimilindo. * (IHu. 63:6) Incwadi yabaHluleli 7:19 ikhuluma ‘ngomlindo waphakathi nobusuku.’ Ngosuku lukaJesu, amaJuda ayesebenzisa indlela yamaGreki neyamaRoma yokuhlukanisa ubusuku bube imilindo emine.

AmaVangeli akhuluma kaningana ngale milindo. Ngokwesibonelo, kwakuyinkathi “yomlindo wesine wobusuku” lapho uJesu ehamba phezu kwamanzi eya kubafundi bakhe esikebheni. (Math. 14:25) Emfanekisweni wakhe, uJesu wathi: “Ukube umninindlu ubazi ukuthi isela lizokuza ngamuphi umlindo, ubeyohlala ephapheme angavumi ukuba indlu yakhe igqekezwe.”—Math. 24:43.

UJesu wakhuluma ngayo yomine imilindo lapho ekhuluma nabafundi bakhe, wathi: “Hlalani nilindile, ngoba anazi ukuthi inkosi yendlu iyobuya nini, ilanga selishonile noma phakathi kwamabili noma ekukhaleni kwezinkukhu noma ekuseni kakhulu.” (Marku 13:35) Umlindo wokuqala, lapho “ilanga selishonile,” kwakuyisikhathi esiqala lapho kushona ilanga kuze kube ngo-9:00 ebusuku. Owesibili, “phakathi kwamabili,” isikhathi esiqala ngo-9:00 ebusuku kuze kube phakathi kwamabili. Owesithathu, obizwa ngokuthi “ekukhaleni kwezinkukhu,” kwakuyisikhathi esiqala phakathi kwamabili kuze kube u-3:00 entathakusa. Kungenzeka kwakuphakathi nalesi sikhathi lapho kwakhala khona iqhude ngobusuku uJesu aboshwa ngabo. (Marku 14:72) Umlindo wesine, “ekuseni kakhulu,” kwakuyisikhathi esasiqala ngo-3:00 entathakusa kuze kube yilapho ilanga liphuma.

Ngakho, ngisho noma abantu bangezikhathi zeBhayibheli babengenawo amawashi esiwasebenzisa namuhla, babenayo indlela yokusho ukuthi ubani isikhathi.